Modeling

SpeedTree (Vegetation Tool)

Software for creating game-ready trees and plants

Also known as: SpeedTree · SpeedTree trees · Procedural trees · Tree generator · SpeedTree Unreal · Vegetation modeling

Definition

SpeedTree is specialized software for creating trees, plants and other vegetation for games and film. It builds trees procedurally from generators for the trunk, branches, leaves and roots, with controls for shape and variation, and it outputs game-ready meshes with LODs, billboards, textures and wind animation. It has been used in many games and integrates with engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity, which makes it a standard for realistic vegetation.

In production

Use it to generate many variations of a species quickly, and customize the leaf textures and materials to match your art style. Check the polycount and LODs for the platform, and use its wind setup with the engine's foliage shading. For stylized projects, many artists model and paint trees by hand in Blender or ZBrush, with cards for leaves, as the generated look is more realistic.